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Labour Market Statistics
Official Unemployment Estimates from the Labour Force Survey
For All Persons, Males and Females Economically Active Aged 16 and Over
Seasonally Adjusted
Summary Comments
Latest 'Official' Labour Force Survey Unemployment Figures for the United Kingdom
Latest 'Official' Labour Force Survey Unemployment Figures for the North West Region
In the three months ending September 2008, the UK unemployment rate was 5.8%. Unemployment increased steeply over the previous quarter, by just more than 8.3%, or 140,000 persons, adding 0.4 percentage points to the unemployment rate – total unemployment now stands at 1,825,000 persons nationally.
5.8% in the UK is the highest rate since the 3 months ending March 2000, when the rate was 5.8% (1,675,000 persons). The numbers unemployed, however have not been as high as 1,825,000 since the 3 months ending December 1997 (1,860,000) when the rate was 6.5%. The difference between the rate and numbers is explained by the total economically active population now being larger than in March 2000.
Unemployment in the North West increased at a slightly slower rate of 7.2%, but still added 0.5 percentage points to the unemployment rate to stand at 6.8% regionally, or 230,000 persons. This is above the UK rate of 5.8% by just over a sixth.
6.8% in the North West is the highest rate since the 3 months ending February 1999, when the rate was 6.9% (210,000 persons). The present numbers for the 3 months ending September 2008, at 230,000, have not been as high as this since the 3 months ending January 1999, when the rate was 7.2%.
The male unemployment rate in the North West of England, at 7.3%, remains higher than the male rate in UK as a whole, at 6.3%. The male unemployment rate in the North West has been greater than the UK male rate since the three months ending August 2006. However, over the 3 months ending September 2008 male unemployment in the NW fell by -2.0% whereas the UK continued to increase, by 8.5%.
Over the year ending September 2008 male unemployment in the UK increased at a greater rate than in the North West, 15.0% and 8.0% respectively. Male unemployment in the North West now stands at 134,000.
Female unemployment in the North West increased sharply again, by 23.5% over the 3 months ending September 2008, compared to an increase of 7.9% in UK over the same period. At 6.2%, the North West rate is now 1.0 percentage point above the UK female unemployment rate of 5.2% (almost a fifth greater).
Over the year ending September 2008 female unemployment in the UK increased at a significantly slower rate than in the North West, 6.0% and 23.0% respectively. Female unemployment in the North West now stands at 96,000.
See also:
The latest available 'Official' unemployment data (seasonally adjusted) derived from the Labour Force Survey is for the three months ending in September 2008, when the number out of work in the United Kingdom totalled 1,825,000, up 140,000 from the previous quarter (April 2008 to June 2008), and up 182,000 on a year earlier.
The jobless rate was 5.8% in the three months ending in September 2008, up 0.4 percentage points on the April 2008 to June 2008 rate, and up 0.5 percentage points on that recorded a year earlier.
For the previous three months ending in August 2008, the number out of work in the UK was 1,792,000 and the jobless rate was 5.7%. The LFS rate is based upon a workforce estimate of the economically active aged 16 and over.
The latest available 'Official' LFS unemployment data for the North West (seasonally adjusted) is for the three months ending in September 2008, when the number out of work totalled 230,000 - up 16,000 on the three months ending in June 2008, and up by 28,000 on a year earlier.
The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the North West was 6.8% in the three months ending in September 2008, up by 0.5 percentage points on the April 2008 to June 2008 rate, and up by 0.8 percentage points on the same period a year earlier.
For the previous three months ending in August 2008, the number out of work in the North West was 221,000 and the jobless rate was 6.6%. The LFS rate is based upon a workforce estimate of the economically active aged 16 and over.
This page was compiled by Ann Weaver and Paul Ayre .
All enquiries from the media should be sent to Corporate.Communications@lancashire.gov.uk .
Any other questions about the content of this page may be sent to EconInfo@lancashire.gov.uk .
For all enquiries about the county council's services , contact the Customer Service Centre on 0845 0530000 (01772 530000) or at Enquiries@css.lancscc.gov.uk .
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